Field-effect induced tunability in planar hyperbolic metamaterials

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how the field effect can electrically tune the optical properties of layered hyperbolic metamaterials, enabling topological dispersion transitions and dynamic control of photonic band gaps.

Contribution

It introduces a method for electrically modulating hyperbolic metamaterials' dispersion characteristics via the field effect, which was not previously demonstrated.

Findings

Achieved ~200% modulation of electromagnetic parameters.

Controlled the opening and closing of photonic band gaps.

Induced topological transitions in dispersion characteristics.

Abstract

We demonstrate that use of the field effect to tune the effective optical parameters of a layered hyperbolic metamaterial leads to topological transitions in its dispersion characteristics in the optical regime. Field effect gating electrically modulates the permittivity in transparent conductive oxides via changes in the carrier density. These permittivity changes lead to active extreme modulation of ~200% of the effective electromagnetic parameters along with active control of the anisotropic dispersion surface of hyperbolic metamaterials and enable the opening and closing of photonic band gaps.